University Church of St Mary the Virgin

Where is Oxford Located, And How Can You Get There?

Oxford is one of England's most popular touristic destinations and home to one of the world's oldest universities.
University Church of St Mary the Virgin

Oxford is one of England’s most popular touristic destinations and home to one of the world’s oldest universities (the University of Oxford). Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the city and its colleges – from how to get there to where to park and the best sights and locations. 

Where is Oxford Located?

Oxford is a city located in Oxfordshire, England. It’s 56 miles (or 90 kilometers) from London and 64 miles (or 103 kilometers) from Birmingham. Many people visit Oxford every day, arriving by train, bus or coach, car, bicycle… and even boat! The best news is: All of these options are easily available, so you can pick the one that best fits your preferences. 

How Can You Get to Oxford?

Oxford is an extremely well-connected city, which means you can get to it pretty quickly from technically any corner of the country (and the world). Depending on where exactly you’re coming from, you’ll have a few different options.

The main ones are to get to Oxford by train, bus or coach, or car. So, let’s quickly go through each of these in a little more detail first, shall we?

Getting to Oxford by Train

Oxford has a large train station with many lines. There are direct services from Paddington and London Marylebone, as well as other services operating from Reading, Didcot, and Birmingham. The train station is very close to the centre of Oxford, just a five to ten minutes walk. You can use our self-guided walking tour map to help you get there more quickly. 

If you want to explore the different train lines to get here, you can use Trainline’s Business, which sells tickets from 270 carriers across 45 countries! You can check their new platform here

Getting to Oxford by Taxi

Getting to Oxford by taxi offers a convenient and flexible transportation option, particularly if you prioritize door-to-door service and personalized travel arrangements. The journey time and cost will depend on your starting point. Oxford is well-connected, and taxis can travel from nearby cities, airports, or towns.

Oxford has several local taxi companies that operate within the city and the surrounding areas. Various online platforms and mobile apps facilitate taxi bookings, too. These platforms often allow you to enter your pick-up and drop-off locations, choose the type of vehicle, and schedule a taxi for a specific time.

If you’re looking for an easy way to get to Oxford by taxi, I recommend Kiwitaxi. Kiwitaxi provides a fixed price for your journey based on the information you give during the booking, so it’s very convenient as it offers transparency on costs. Kiwitaxi also offers various vehicle options, including standard taxis, minivans, or even luxury cars.

Getting to Oxford by Bus or Coach

There are several direct services between Oxford and many other cities, too. If you’re coming from London, you can take the Oxford Tube (which is a bus line! Even though it’s named like the underground). These buses run 24 hours a day, Monday to Sunday, so you won’t have much trouble finding one. Other important connections are maintained by National Express.

Getting to Oxford by Car (+ Parking!)

You can easily get to Oxford by car and use one of the many Park and Ride services that go to the city centre (Oxford Parkway, Pear Tree, Redbridge, Thornhill, or Seacourt) or use one of the parking options within the city, such as train station long-stay parking or Westgate parking (both of which will be more expensive). You can use the Oxford City Council site to learn more about the Park and Ride service. 

Getting to Oxford from the Airports

You can easily get to Oxford from any of the airports in England. The closest ones are Heathrow and Gatwick, both of which have coach services (called The Airline) that run 24 hours a day. If you’re coming from Stansted Airport, you can instead use the train (you’ll need to change trains at Paddington or Marylebone or use the National Express 737 coach).